The traffic dawdled deliberately in a herd as a traffic police car weaved past. Snaking through the traffic behind them came Artemis’ Flower van. She’d found a new hobby. Lithuania. The driver said, as he looked in the mirror. Folk tend to avoid places colder than Scotland in October. The van roared as it moved to the far away lane, presiding over a new herd, one to hold dear without her bow and arrow.

A volley of rays

through the clouds

they pierce the windows

on the passenger side

She must have loaned them to her brother. To be honest, I can’t say I’m looking forward to it. Gav replied as the taxi slipped to the outside lane. The words lingered for context, the silence sewing ungratefulness to the previous sentence.

It’s for the European People’s Festival.

It’s basically for a meeting.

I’m the team chairman.

Yay responsibility.

<- GLASGOW AIRPORT

Drop off point ->

That’s 11.00

Overhead, a jet follows the sign.

altogether. He says

Try not have too much fun.

Gav laughs. He wheels his bags off THIS WAY ^

^

^

towards the terminal

Please pay at the exit 20 zone

43.43 became 40

2+2=5

Please drink responsibly,

This is a final call for passenger Ingram

82%

Gate 18

Ei-FAV

43

16a

3325

WARNING: PHOTOSENSITIVITY/ EPILEPSY SEIZURES

INT. MARUKYU STRIPJOINT. ELEVENTH FLOOR.

The INVESTIGATION TEAM stands at the top of the stairs. In front of them is a pink curtain draped across a pink carpet with eyeballs encased in diamonds some darker, some lighter in shade. They run parallel to one another. Spotlights with lips swoop around the hall as drum and bass plays over the speakers.

Teddie

… I think that girl Rise is ahead of here… I’m not certain.

GAV

Raise the curtain and enter?

Yes/no

The INVESTIGATION TEAM enters under the curtain. The camera cuts to the back of the room, showing them approaching under an arch with blue lights. The walls are lined with purple curtains. RISE kneels on the floor wearing her white pin over. Dangling from the pole is SHADOW RISE wearing a golden one piece.

YOSUKE

Look the real one’s here too!

SHADOW RISE

(laughing)

They’re all watching!

RISE

Stop it!

SHADOW RISE

Aww what’s the matter? You wanna show your stuff, don’tcha?

SHADOW RISE spins round the pole and flexes.

RISE

Please, stop this!

SHADOW RISE

As if that’s even close to what you’re really thinking, you little skank! You’re me… and obviously I’m you. Not Risette, the fake celebrity! Look at the girl right in front of you!

RISE

No! You’re not…

Exclamation marks appear above the INVESTIGATION TEAM’s heads.

CHIE

Don’t say it!

RISE

You’re not me!

SHADOW RISE laughs as a blue aura grows out of her, feeding off the rejection. It unleashes a wave of smoke, shrouding the room before for a moment to mask the transformation. SHADOW RISE’s true form appears; a giant blue body with rainbows rotating around its limbs. The boss battle begins.

All aboard the Cobus 2700

You wonder why you’ve not got a brother or sister!

Daddy’s a mean person

He’s not mean,

he’s just

Yeah it was an impromptu journey

to Wales- I mean France!

Dubai

Manchester City

Dreamliner

Plaistesch agus cannai

Additional seating up stairs

“There are so many career paths, the possibilities are endless.” Robert, Graduate

“A boy has the right to dream. There are endless possibilities stretched out before him. What awaits him down the path he will then have to choose. The boy doesn’t always now. At some point, the boy then becomes an adult and learns what he was able to become. Joy and Sadness forever will accompany this. He is confronted with a choice. When this happens, does he bid his past farewell in his heart? Once a boy becomes an adult, he can no longer goback to being a boy. The boy is now a man. Only one thing can be said: “A boy has the right to dream, for those endless possibilities are stretched out before him”. We must remember… all men were once boys” – Robert Graduate

pumpkin spice

we’re half way there

can I have a slice?

livin’ on a prayer

queues of leather

loves a blether

Seat 26e

26 C B A

(Can’t. Be. Arsed.)

rests his arms upon the table

pillow

F

Lurdes

Our flight is delayed…we are in Viena …portuguese delegation

Virginia

Ok

You are not the only

Hungarians also have problems

Aurore

We are in the plane. No pb for us. Ready to land.see you soon

Virginia

See you

Lurdes

In the plane now….2 hours more….and Vilnius…see you later

Lurdes

Sorry….but we dont have pilot….we are stoped

They said…more 30 minuts…or more….waiting for the first oficial

Virginia

It’s ok @Lurdes Silva

Heidi Rasmussen has left the conversation.

Life jacket under seat, please

Fasten seat belt whilst seated

sign is on

locate your nearest exit

Q 61%

Rise: What do you think, Baz, are Tottenham bound to come up short on all fronts?

Gav: Errr… I have a suspicion they might do, yeah.

Rise: They’ve just drawn at the Bernabeu, could this be there year?

Gav: It very well could be, Max but I think, though they’ll beat Liverpool this weekend, they won’t have enough to topple City or United.

Rise: I think they’ll have enough on Sunday but, it’s hard to pinpoint exactly what else it is they need.

[“Sure, I’ll show you around.”]

Rise: Do you want to hear my case for Poch’ being the best manager in the league, Baz? Before you answer I’m going to tell you…

> You sense Rise’s natural, easy friendliness…

> You feel a faint bond forming between you and Rise…

Thou art I… And I am thou…

Thou hast established a new bond…

It brings thee closer to the truth…

Thou shalt be blessed when creating

Personas of the Lovers Arcana…

> You have established the Rise Kujikawa Social Link of the Lovers Arcana!

> You may earn an EXP bonus when fusing Personas of the Lovers Arcana!

> Rise’s determination in battle has been enhanced…

> She will now cheer you on during all-out attacks!

Rise: They’ve taken the most points this calendar year…

Rise: Harry Kane and Deli Ali continue to look like they’re on the verge of world class.

Rise: They’ve improved from last year, despite the financial constraints of the stadium and they’ve no particular weak point!

Gav: Yet they won’t win the league Max.

Rise: It’s bizarre!

Dojima residence

Welcome home big bro!

Study,

Tutor or

work at the hospital

Q 45%

Harmony Park

Pilieciai

Welcome Scotland!

Fall ‘17

Zanarkand Ruins

Who are you

Nobuo Uematsu

J-E-N-O-V-A

-1

Dotna Bilank

Seduva

Radviliskis

Cognac + beer

07:50am –

07:55am –

08:00am –

Mokyklinis Autobus nr 469

Cia

Pirmosios

Raides

-Antanas Caiciulaitis?

– Here

– Antanas Skema?

– Here

– Ignas Seinius?

– (silence)

– Jurgis Savickis?

– Here

Vinco Kudirkos Progimnazija

President’s trophy

post football kebabs: 860239699

1992: The town crest was designed and

J’mapelle Roddy Cairns. Je suis chevalier blanc

Mazuras

1999

Just Do It. To the victor, the statue

Wind whipped through the hissing trees. Rain lashed against the container they leaned against. Five of the squad remained, their backs to the enemy. In the foreground a body lay face down in the mud. Edvard felt his greatcoat strangle his body, holding him down in the mud. Next to the container lay a cannon. We must push forward he said. Moisture dribbled from his forehead, ricocheting off his lips as he spoke. The salty warmth crept inside his mouth. He tightened his grip around the handle of his rifle through the film of water. What’s the plan sir? Ignas asked. Can you use it? He gestured at the cannon. If you cover me. Edvard nodded. We fire that cannon and push them down the rail tracks until they’re out of Radviliskis and then we make sure they don’t set foot in our town again he replied. What about reinforcements? Edvard shook his head. We have the momentum. The cannon should deal with enough of them. The reinforcements will arrive to hold them out of town. Go to it on my mark. The rest of us, push forward and draw the fire. He checked his bullets, cocked his weapon, closed his eyes and leapt to his feet.

Forward! He shouted. The squad scrambled out from behind the container. They roared as they steamed along the train tracks. The Bermondt’s were holed up behind a train carriage. Bullets zipped through the air, snapping at their feet. Ignas turned the cannon. The wind howled against them. He hoisted a shell. Barrages of rain carried on every gust. Lined up the trajectory. He hauled on the lever. Direct hit! Bodies bled from the charred remains of the carriage. The squad charged on. Their roars were flanked by friendlies from the trees. The roars turned to cheers, Ignas stood atop the cannon watching on. The bullets flew only one way now. They reached the train, abandoned by their scampering foes.

gubernija anno 1665 x8

cognac x

left

on read

Please do not throw toilet paper

in the toilet.

Thank you for understanding.

Thierry Kepykla

Plauk Rankas

October, 1708Washing makes no difference. I huddle around the fire. The skin on my knees tears as I drag them over the floor. I let my face linger closer, hoping that it will melt away the sores which plague me. Fire spits back at me and I cower behind the dust ridden rug that belonged to the victim before me. He has willed this yet I see no golden gates when I close my eyes, only darkness. Yet I am rejected by Hell. It will not welcome me nor will it grant me its warmth. My bones grind with each movement, my teeth rattle yet the cloth sticks to my back. I clasp my hands together and lift them over my head, my ribcage ready to rip through my skin. My mouth wrenches open but all that escapes are the groans from my stomach. My arms drop to the floor and I roll onto my side and watch the fire. My eyes feel heavy and the binding of my hands loosens.

M10_official Arsenal 5 Rangers 0

What I attempted to do was replicate Bridget Penney’s style in Index and apply it to my experience of travelling to Lithuania. I documented details ranging from conversations, to prices, posters, initials, brands – anything which I managed to catch and take note of on my phone whether it had meaning or not. Each heading creates a structure, but the information which follows it breaks from that structure.

I fictionalised the character ‘Gav’ in place of myself. The first heading is a google review for Artemis Flowers from a customer. An Artemis Flowers van drove past my taxi on the way to the airport, I found it an amusing use of the name at the time. Somehow Artemis had become a domesticated florist. I applied the technique coherence to this initial segment, references to she should inform the reader that there is something going on that’s not explicit in the text as there is no she in the taxi and the actions are referring to Artemis.

The mention of 43.53 became 40.00 is the exchange rate for pounds to euros at the time. It is also a reference to Ian Hamilton Finlay and the structural parallelism he employed in Ovidian Flowers. This also made me think of 2+2=5, a chapter heading in Orwell’s ‘1984’ which holds significance in regards to use in the French Revolution as well. In that context it refers to value placed on a particular portion of the aristocratic French population over the rest, whilst Orwell uses it to question the party. I felt this applied to the values of currency, we value one more than others and frankly, if Travel Express tell me that is the conversion rate I just accept it without question.

Please drink responsibly was plastered on bottles and posters in restaurants. Ei-Fav was on the side of the plane, travelling from Gate 18 and I placed the 82% at the side of the page to mimic the battery percentage I was keeping an eye on and there was a final call for a passenger which I noted because Ingram’s is a bar back home.

I played Persona 4 Golden on the Playstation Vita during the connecting flight to Dublin. I used the health warning when you start the PS Vita as the heading, then chose to write out the segment of the dungeon I played through in script format, taking inspiration from the stage actions which Penney employed during Index. I put Gav in there to mimic the style of Penney using Roland and Julie as recurring characters. The player can choose the name of the protagonist they take control of in Persona 4, answer questions prompted to him and fighting as him. I saw the protagonist as an extension of Gav.

The segment following that are extracts from a conversation between a family of three on an airport shuttle bus, a Cobus 2700. This stuck with me, along with a bizarre line confusing an impromptu trip to France with Wales. The contrast between the two countries forced the line to stick with me.

The heading is Gaelic for plastic and cans, on a bin in Dublin airport. This demonstrates a change in location – but not the end of the journey. The quote by Robert, the graduate was on a poster in Dublin Airport and the combination of ‘possibilities and endless’ in the final segment of the line will always remind me of the quote ‘A boy has a right to dream. There are endless possibilities stretched out before him”. It’s from an anime I used to watch called Outlaw Star and also features in an advert ‘Toonami Dreams’ on an old TV station which holds nostalgic value. The piece of rhyme here is simply applying structure to actions, drink and experience of a hen party singing Springsteen in the airport.

My seat number was 26e on the flight but looking across the row I noticed 26 CBA – cba always triggers ‘can’t be arsed’ in my head due to over use of the acronym to denote this feeling. I had several messages in the Festival Delegation group chat on Facebook to read before the flight started, this was a brief snippet of that. I found it amusing because Heidi left. I imagined her patience might have ran out. I used wingdings font to show the mobile phone going onto airplane mode and the battery percentage remaining.

There is further Persona 4 gameplay here but I’ve adapted someone’s fictionalisation of the scene, reduced to dialogue but replaced the dialogue with part of the conversation in a football podcast which I listened to whilst playing the game on this flight.

I started to take notes on my surroundings in Kaunas airport which now had no meaning and triggered no nostalgia compared to those attached before. Harmony Park was advertised in the airport at Kaunas, Pilieciai hung at passport control. I used song titles that appeared on my playlist in the car to the hotel before falling asleep.

Mokylinis autobus 469 was written on the bus we used to visit the schools we would be staying at next summer. Some of the words quoted appeared on a particularly creepy picture drawn in the primary school.

The men mentioned here had pictures on the wall with their birth and death dates, but there was no description attached to them so I fictionalised a class register in the style Penney wrote the questioning of Julie. The class register, a list, provides a structure to the names. I employed cohesion to show that each ‘Here’ is a response to the name, showing a different responder.

We were shown a town monument with the town crest on it, it was a white horse with a white knight which reminded me of a joke we made about a friend whilst we were in France in the summer – we called him the white knight in French.

We were given a brief explanation about the statue of Nike in the town centre, it was to commemorate the victory in 1919 over the West Russian Volunteer Army. I decided to fictionalise an account of this battle as Penney had done with the French revolution. I used the cannon and the image of Ignas standing on the cannon because the statue of Nike shows her atop of a cannon holding a sword. Plauk Ranks read ‘Wash your hands’ in the bathroom, this reminded me of the fact that Radviliskis was uninhabited for two years due to the plague. I wrote a fictionalised account of someone infected like a diary entry, as Penney had done in Index, using elements of coherence too.

Throughout the piece there are pieces of information left unstuck and without structure such as flight numbers, phone numbers and snippets of Lithuanian. There are also a few notes I had taken which I do not recall taking, perhaps I was trying to set my alarm drunk or had noted how many beers I was to order at the bar. I felt these belonged in there to represent the arbitrary nature of information obtained by an intoxicated consciousness.

They slosh through the water. Hold them steady, I think. Visualise your fingers. You’re touching the wall.

“BREATHE.”

My mouth is assaulted, my throat nearly clogged by water, I grit my teeth, hold my head under, purse my lips and wheel my arms, the end is in sight, fingers reach out, my toes wriggle and I wrestle the last ounce of strength from my legs as I reach the wall.

I feast on the air as I break through the surface and rest my head against the side of the pool. He sighs, checking the stopwatch.

“Once more,” he says.

I raise my head and open my mouth but the only defence I can offer is to let my head rock from side to side. He slings the stopwatch against the wall.

I turn my back to him and pull off my hat and goggles. I close my eyes and bury my head under water, letting my forehead sooth. I exhale slowly then resurface.

“You’re down three quarters of a second. You need to work on your breathing technique.”

I nod as I edge over to the ladders and try to heave myself out of the pool. My shoulders droop as I clamber up, the arch of my foot tightens between steps. I stop halfway as his hand lodges on my shoulder. I look up at him, his smile mounted above that barreled chest and broad shoulders. Light obscures the rotting grey hairs emerging from the side of his head.

“You’re better than this,” he says.

I summon that smile he demands.

“I’m better than this,” I say.

“There’s my state champion.”

My smile grows wider than I’d intended.

He offers a hand I can’t decline, wrenching me out of the pool. Then he lingers – like he always does – at the side of the ladder so that I have to walk in front of him.

“Nationals are a month out,” he says as we walk.

I tread towards the locker room when I feel those calluses clamp around the base of my neck. His steps stalk mine, he presses down and my insides shrivel like the tips of my fingers. That familiar grip grinds along my shoulders, like someone strangling water from a towel. The door feels so far away now.

“You need to work harder if you’re gonna keep your place on my team,” he says as his fingers creep under the straps of my swimsuit, crawling backwards and forwards.

The locker room door edges open and his fingers recoil but his hands linger on my back.

Alex pops her head out like a soldier peaking over the trench.

“Howdy Alex, I’m just about ready for you,” he says. “Why don’t you dive in and cut loose those legs of yours?”

“Sure,” she replies, emerging from the door that’s been shielding her.

She looks at me and then to the ground as she approaches.

“S’up Karen,” she says, turning her head to the pool.

HELP.

“Hi,” I reply, as I watch her pass.

He ushers me over to the door with his hand on my waist as I hear a splash behind us.

“Alex has been doing some extra training with me,” he says. He leans in, his stubble scratches my cheek. I feel his warm breath tickle my ear. Chills swim down my spine and he whispers, “I think she might be able to compete in the 200m.”

“Oh…” I begin my approach towards the door, one step at a time.

“She’s shaved nearly a second off her time. You should think of doing the same.”

“I’ve got math test comin’ up and-” He latches his hand around my wrist, reeling me back to him.

“I’ve got a math test for you,” he hisses. “What’s 1:40 minus three quarters of a second?”

“Our target time,” I answer.

“Our target time. Mine, yours and more to the point: my friend at TMU’s target time,” I taste the stale milk on his breath and I lean my head to the side. “Now, Alex is in damn fine shape and you look like you could drop a few pounds never mind seconds. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

I purse my lips and nod.

“Hit the showers,” he says as he releases my wrist before snatching the door handle and swiping it open.

I catch a look at myself in the mirror inside my locker door as I collect my things. I turn my head to both sides, sucking my cheeks and clamping them beneath my teeth. Then I release them.

I thrust the door back against the cabinet and make my way to the showers. I turn each shower on and let the steam smother the room. I feel tears plotting their escape. I sit and rest my head against my knees and I feel the water scorching my back. I will it to melt my skin and beg the steam to choke me. I watch as a strand of red hair is lured into the drain. The tears begin to flee.

***

The smell of bacon flirts with me as I arrive home. I head straight for the kitchen. Mom’s standing over the cooker, still wearing her work apron.

“Hey hon’. How was practice?” She asks.

Tell her.

“Exhausting,” I say.

This can’t go on.

“Coach still pushing you hard?”

The bacon hisses as I lean against the counter.

“Yeah.”

How do I say it?

“It’ll all be worth it in the end,” she says.

“Mom-“

The pan spits oil onto my jeans. I pat at the spot.

“Do you mind taking over? I need to get back to work,” she says.

Now’s not the right time.

“Another double?” I ask.

“’Fraid so.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard,” I say.

She wraps her arms around me, cocooning me.

“Oh hey, a letter arrived for you today. I left it over on the table.” She says.

I go and pick up the letter. Underneath it lies an open one. Urgent is printed across the top of it.

“What’s this urgent one?” I ask.

“Oh it’s nothing hon’. I just forgot to make an electricity payment, that’s all.”

“Mom you still remember to send birthday cards to Dad’s family and we haven’t seen them since-.”

“Must be all this cooking I’m doing for you between shifts that’s making me forgetful then!”

“Are you sure you don’t need me to get a job?” I ask.

“Positive dear. The only jobs I need you to do is open that letter and watch this bacon whilst I go to work.”

I dunno if she’s getting worse at changing the subject or I’ve gotten better at noticing. I pick up the letter and wander back over to the cooker; she kisses me on the way past and says goodbye. I take a knife from the drawer and slide it along the top.

It’s from TMU. I got in, it’s a scholarship offer! Place dependent with a full one being offered if I win at nationals. Tears breach through my defence again and my throat clogs. I look at the bacon, now shriveled and smoking. I strip it from the pan – the stench burns my nostrils – and drop the rashers in the bin. I toss the hissing pan into the sink and head for my room.

I plug my iPod into the Iron Man dock and play my Disney Hits playlist. Tom Brady grants me a smile as I turn on my computer. I open a homework tab and a Facebook tab. Murmurs of discontent arise from my stomach. I convince myself that by allocating ten minutes to Facebook, I’ll commit to fifty to work.

Half an hour later and the homework tab’s been replaced by her twitter feed. I’m still swiping through photos of Alex. Moana has done little to dampen the howls of derision from my stomach. Happy family photos, Christmas and that perfect holiday bikini picture. I pour over photos from swim meets; zooming in on those toned legs of hers that glisten in the pool. There I stand on the podium, supported by two tree trunks. I hammer the mouse to close each tab then toss it away and hold in the standby button. I slap the light off and throw myself onto my bed, staring at the ceiling.

***

I get the message at lunch time. He wants to see me in his office after school. I spend the rest of the afternoon wondering how to get out of it, each solution riddled with errors.

I arrive late to the pool. I nudge the entrance door open and he spots me. He’s waiting for me outside his office. He walks towards me and I freeze. I can’t leave, but I don’t want to enter. He opens the door fully and I nearly stumble into him.

I follow him down the corridor, under the eyes of previous swim teams, their pictures lining the walls. He holds the door open and his breath licks my hair as I pass into the office, polluted by cologne.

“Please, take a seat,” he says.

“I’d really just like to get started with training. Maybe I’ll stay a little later tonight,” I say.

“Well, I’m glad you’re coming round to that idea,” he says, pulling the chair out from under the table. “Sit.”

I buckle and kick the desk as I sit, a picture of us at the state championships threatens to fall. I’m taunted by his medal from nationals.

“Yeah. He offered me a scholarship, a full one if I win at nationals.”

“That’s too bad.”

“Too bad?”

“I think I’m going to go with Alex for the 200m at nationals.”

“You can’t!” I say.

My throat dries.

“She swam sub 1:41 last night.”

“I’ve done it before.”

“But you’re slowing down.”

My eyes burn.

“I’m going…“ I croak.

I get to my feet, sniffing, I approach the door.

“There is one way…” He says.

I turn as he snakes around the table towards me.

“How?”

He unzips his jacket.

“I don’t know if there are enough shifts in the day for your mom to cover tuition fees,” he says. “You could still enter nationals. You might even win.”

My grip on the handle loosens under my sweaty palm.

He slithers forward and leans his forearm against the door. He leers down at me.

“All we need is a little cooperation,” he says as the hairs on the back of his hand brush me. “Teamwork.”

He lifts my hand from the handle, wrapping his fingers around mine. My eyes are burning. I grip his hand tighter. My temples are pounding. I lure his face towards mine. Then I feel my right leg crunch between his legs. He wails as he recoils and I run.

I’m back in the main school building. Tears stream down my face as I sprint down the corridor. I spot the girls toilets and burst through the door. I nearly fall on the sleek tiled surface as I slide to a halt. Alex stands in front of me.

“Karen?! Are you alright?” She asks.

I stagger back towards the door but she latches onto me.

“I lost my place on the team, and-” I stutter as I shrink to the floor, laying back against the door.

“What happened?” She asks, crouching.

“You happened.”

Her eyebrows jolt as she answers, “Me?”

“You,” I say, trying to cup my hand steady over my mouth as I wheeze. “You and your sub 1:41.”

She lets out a confused laugh and says, “I can’t swim sub 1:41.”

I feel the tears subside.

“Karen, what the hell happened?”

“He told me you were doing extra trainin’,” I say, rubbing my eyes. “He said you were takin’ my spot in the 200m. Then he…”

“He what?”

I glance up at her, “H-he tried to… or suggested that we…”

I thud my head against the door and inhale. She sits down beside me. I exhale. She cradles her arm around my shoulder. I inhale. I lean my head against her shoulder and exhale once more.

“My scholarship…” I say.

“We need to tell to someone,” she says.

I lift my head off her shoulder and ask, “Will they believe me?”

“Hey,” she says, brushing my hair out of my eyes, “I believe you.”

Commentary

I had initially considered this piece to be contemporary fiction as it deals with themes that are current societal and cultural issues. However, as it developed I found it belonged to the young adult genre. I felt it would be more effective to tackle the themes with first person narration.

The piece deals with sexual harassment. After some research into sexual harassment involved in Olympic Teams and sports teams in general I read an article about the economics of consent by Brit Marling which helped tie my ideas together. Economic security is something which grants women a modicum of power in a patriarchal society. Men are often the gatekeepers of a woman’s potential for economic security, they often abuse this power and apply pressure on women from their position of power.

The coach attempts to use Karen’s need for a scholarship to reduce or eradicate the cost of her going to university. She’s coming from a home with a single mother working in a diner. If she stands up to him and reports him, does she lose the scholarship? Is she now a troublemaker, a persona non-grata like so many are when they report harassment in the workplace? That’s a dilemma I wanted to expose – something which countless victims of sexual harassment have faced.

Secondary to this, is how the coach pits two girls against one another. He objectifies Alex, and paints her as the obstacle to Karen getting her scholarship. Those seeds are sewn onto Karen, dividing them. It was then important to show support for the victim, uniting the divided parties. If Alex confessed to Karen, considering how she was controlled, would Karen have believed her? Showing belief in the victim, especially in a world where social media allows people to destroy victims, is incredibly important.

I think on reflection the piece would work better with wider context, which exists in my head but the piece had a word limit. I don’t think I’ll return to this and expand upon it, however. I think it only scratches the surface of the characters and I think it could maybe have been subtler in places. When a piece contains difficult themes, it’s not about marching in and becoming some kind of martyr. Whilst the story has roots based upon plenty of research, I think it’s important to acknowledge that I’m still learning and there’s a fair chance there’s something problematic in the piece. I also think an additional feel for the characters existing in this world would be beneficial to the story having life outside of the theme of sexual harassment.

IN FRONT OF A BLACK SCREEN A CHRYON WITH THE YEAR 2063
APPEARS AND FADES AWAY, THEN BASRA, IRAQ.

FADE IN:

EXT. SHATT AL-ARAB RIVER, BASRA – EVENING

Establishing shot in front of an Iraqi with a near shaved
head. The lights of the city are blurred and unfocused
behind him but the outline of sky scrapers are visible.
He’s wearing sun glasses, an unbuttoned fluorescent shirt
and white shorts as he performs the combined Shia Muslim
prayer of Zuhar and Asr on the wooden deck of his boat. The
boat gently rocks on the river. He lingers, still on his
knees.

In a profile shot of his head we see a theme park on the
bank of the river in the background. The camera pans out
and a ride with a giant boat and a neon sign on the side
that reads “SINBADS” flashes in and out of the background.
Music is playing, people scream in joyful terror. This is
the only type of terror that exists in this country. A
police boat passes by. Ahead of him the sun bleeds into the
water as it sets, wrapped in bandages by fog clouds born
from an oil field at the lands end, only one of the funnels
is producing flame. The boat arcs to the right towards an
inlet as the camera zooms out. On the left side of the
river, behind Sinbad’s theme park are a plethora of
skyscrapers laced with neon advertising signs and video
screens advertising Tesla.

EXT. RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT – EVENING

There are parking bays outside blocks of beige, sandblasted
flats that tower 10 stories tall. Each parked car is sleek
and hooked up to a charging bay which is Tesla branded. The
buildings are angled and jagged, the top leans out towards
the road like upside down stairs leading back to the main
body of the building. Fake Palm trees and astro-grass
surround the flats. Cowering behind these flats is a modest
two floored home with an over grown garden surrounding it,
outside is a beaten and bruised, used to be white, Kia
Frontier car, permanently stained by dust and heat.

INT. FAMILY HOME – EVENING

RIKKU is preparing dinner. She sings along to the radio as
she cuts with a blunt knife. The knife rack next to her is
empty. The edge of her headscarf sticks to her forehead.
She’s wearing a white shirt and beige trousers which flare
at the sides. Her shirt is unbuttoned to the top of her
chest and the tip of a bandage can be seen under her right
sleeve. She sets the table which takes up most of the space
in the kitchen and returns to the sink, a bead of sweat
trickles down the side of her head leaving behind a trail
of purple near her eye as it lifts some foundation.

Her singing halts as she’s startled by the noise of someone
entering. It’s her father. She buttons up her shirt. He
enters the kitchen and she turns thrusting her arms to her
side.

SAYEED is dressed in grey overalls which are wearing at the
knees and his boots have dispersed dust on the floor. He
has a visible skin defect under the tip of his nose where
there’s a gap, he removes his helmet and reveals another
which covers the right of his forehead just above his eye.
He looks as though he’s lived out a century, with a look of
expectancy that he’ll see out another.

SAYEED
Hello my love, I trust dinner is
almost ready?

RIKKU
Not quite, can you wait a couple
of minutes Papa?

SAYEED
(He chuckles after
saying)
I can’t but I will.

SAYEED turns off the radio and turns on the television
before sitting at the table. RIKKU places a glass of water
down next to him and begins serving the dinner.

RIKKU
How was work today?

SAYEED gulps down his glass of water before letting out a
contented breath, as though it’s been held prisoner.

SAYEED
Fine, my dear.

RIKKU
Devie wasn’t bothering you again
was he?

RIKKU places down his plate in front of him, taking away
his glass and refilling it.

SAYEED
He doesn’t really bother me,
Rikku. He’s a nice enough man.

Beat.

RIKKU goes to place the glass with him but she recoils
briefly as he begins again.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
Although he wouldn’t shut up about
that sellout councilor.

RIKKU
Ms. Abed Jaseem?

RIKKU places his glass down and collects her own dinner.

SAYEED
The whore who leapt into bed with
those pigs and their cancerous
legacy.

She flinches as she approaches.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
Every day I swallow this Uranium
medication. An American get out of
jail free card for the damage of
their illegal war and their
illegal arms.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
I think he wants me to convert me.
You’d sooner catch me in one of
those McDonalds before I support
her. And don’t get me started on
his gambling.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
I told him “You shouldn’t even be
fucking gambling!”. Bah! These
people want to further dilute
tradition from our constitution.

He ends his rant and turns his attention to the TV as RIKKU
takes her seat.

RIKKU
Could we-

SAYEED
(Interrupting)
TV: on.

SAYEED ignores RIKKU’S interjection. The TV switches on.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
TV: set volume to 25.

An automated voice responds confirming the instruction.
RIKKU sits down with her dinner opposite him. They both
look up at the TV on the counter in between bites. The
seven o’clock news begins with discussion about the city’s
council elections.

ANNOUNCER
Tonight’s main story, Noor Abed
Jaseem comes out fighting in her
bid for re-election ahead of next
weeks council elections.

SAYEED
(Snapping)
TV: set volume OFF.

There’s a montage of NOOR at a podium, the crowd appear to
be cheering, she’s seen discussing with voters and posing
for selfies.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
It might help if she sacked her
stylist.

RIKKU
It might help if the volume was
on.

SAYEED hits his fist on the table.

SAYEED
It might help if we stopped
talking about it.

Beat.

The silence is broken by RIKKU nervously cutting and
scraping at the food on her plate. Her eyes well up as she
keeps her head down trying to use the food to steady
herself.

SAYEED’S fists are clenched. He places both fists down
strategically either side of his plate, his knife and fork
erect in them.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
(Calmly)
Is something wrong, my love?

RIKKU
No… Papa.

She shovels a forkful of food into her mouth and chews to
clog her jaw’s quivering.

Beat.

SAYEED is controlled, methodical, analysing each bite.
RIKKU speeds up her eating, making more noise. He bangs his
fist on the table.

SAYEED
(Raising voice)
Perhaps if you would be quiet we
might enjoy this lovely meal!

RIKKU
I’m sorry, Papa.

His anger is alleviated.

SAYEED
You wouldn’t want to waste all
your hard work now would you?

It returns as blood drops from the defect on his nose.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
Now look what you’ve done.

He gets up and marches to the sink. RIKKU picks up her
glass of water and napkin from the table and follows him.

RIKKU
Let me help you.

SAYEED shrugs her off, forcefully. She drops the glass of
water which smashes, letting a half formed scream escape.
He takes the napkin from her hand and dabs the blood which
is trickling down his nose. RIKKU slumps to the floor,
collecting pieces of the glass in her hand. SAYEED towers
over her.

SAYEED
I’m sorry my dear. It’s not your
fault. I just wanted to enjoy this
lovely meal you cooked. Ever since
your mother-

SAYEED holds the napkin to his face and walks past the
table, ignoring the rest of his dinner and pulls the door
closed as he exits the room.

RIKKU puts the remains of the glass she’s collected into
the shattered base of the glass and drops it in the bin.
She sits at the table and finishes her dinner.

INT. RIKKU’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

The bedroom ceiling light flickers under the pristine glass
casing which conceals it. Snoring can be heard. A clock on
the wall ticks, reading 9.35. It’s dark outside. RIKKU has
removed her headscarf, her hair hangs down, she’s wearing a
black dress and black, ankle length boots. She reaches back
into her cupboard and moves a panel, pulling a long beige
trench coat from behind it and puts it on. She searches
under her bed mattress at the back of the room away from
the window, and pulls out a phone from under it. A graphic
shows her hiring an Uber through the app. On a chest of
drawers next to the door and under the clock is a framed
photo of a young RIKKU with SAYEED and her mother cuddling.

Cracks are spreading through the paint on the walls,
slithering out of the cover provided by two posters of the
same woman singing. RIKKU opens the drawer and collects the
key for her window. Next to the key is an unframed photo of
a young RIKKU with her mother. She has no hair. RIKKU looks
happy, her mother’s mouth is smiling but her eyes are
scared.

RIKKU unlocks her window, carefully opening it. She climbs
out the window and leans on the window ledge, pulling the
window over but leaving it slightly ajar. She then drops
onto an old mattress outside and sneaks off towards the
bottom of the street where she gets into an uber.

INT. GRAND BASRA HOTEL – NIGHT

RIKKU stands with her back to the bar and her arms crossed,
still wearing her trench coat. She looks out at the stage,
which is lit in purple and maroon. TARIA is playing piano.
Some of the dance floor in front of the stage is left open.
The rest is obscured by purple cushioned booths littering
the floor facing the stage, which are less than half full
with people. Some are dressed in suits, some dresses and
others in traditional Iraqi clothing – there’s a diversity
of people represented through the clothing.

TARIA finishes playing and receives reserved applause, as
though this music is as common to the people watching as
hold-music is on the telephone. She walks down the stairs
off stage and heads towards the bar.

The Iraqi from the opening scene walks past carrying a rum
and coke with a Japanese couple.

TARIA approaches dressed in skinny jeans and a sleeveless
black jacket over a white t-shirt, removing her glasses.

TARIA
You’re a little late.

The two hug.

RIKKU
Hey. I’m sorry.

TARIA
You’re lucky you’re talented.

RIKKU allows a grin to spread across her face, but she
hides her face in a way that suggests she’s trying to
contain it. The two lean against the bar and face one
another. RIKKU, with her right arm and TARIA with her left.

TARIA (CONT’D)
Speaking of which, it’s about time
you accepted my job offer.

RIKKU
Oh Taria. I-I can’t right now.

RIKKU faces the bar, her forearms rest there.

TARIA
You still can’t, huh?

TARIA faces the stage looking up.

RIKKU
(Nodding along to each
excuse)
No. I’ve got too much work to do.
And I just don’t know if I could
spend so long away from home…
living on a cruise ship.

TARIA
If you ask me, spending so long
away from home is the only thing
you should be doing.

They face each other.

RIKKU
Taria…

TARIA
I’m worried about you Rikku.

TARIA grabs RIKKU’S forearm which leans on the bar and
RIKKU recoils, snatching her arm away.

TARIA (CONT’D)
(Startled)
What is it? Whats the matter?

RIKKU
N-nothing.

TARIA
Rikku!

RIKKU lets her arm go loose and TARIA takes her hand,
slowly rolling up the sleeve to reveal her bandage.

TARIA (CONT’D)
Are you kidding me? He’s done it
again?!

TARIA starts unraveling the bandage.

RIKKU
I’m sorry, it’s not his-

She’s interrupted by a glare from TARIA, tears well in
RIKKU’S eyes. Under the bandage is a blistering burn mark.

TARIA
I’m not leaving this city without
you. You’re coming with me and
you’re taking this job.

Beat.

RIKKU nods her head as she sniffs, fighting back tears and
biting her lip. The two embrace once more, linking both
hands. TARIA kisses the wound gently.

RIKKU
I want to sing here. One last
time.

Clasping hands, they nod and lean their heads together.
RIKKU removes her jacket, her backless dress reveals a long
scar across her upper back. The two walk towards the stage
holding hands. TARIA takes her place at the piano and RIKKU
takes the microphone.

RIKKU (CONT’D)
…One last time.

EXT. RESIDENTIAL DISTRICT – NIGHT

TARIA pulls up a comfortable distance away from RIKKU’S
house in her car.

TARIA
This is too risky.

RIKKU
I can’t leave without the photos
of my mother.

TARIA
Just get what you came for and get
out. Don’t take too long, I’ll
keep the engine running.

RIKKU kisses TARIA on the cheek.

RIKKU
Thanks. For everything. I’ll be
right back.

She approaches the house and slips round the back to where
she exited. Her window is still ajar. She moves a ladder
from the over grown grass and positions it next to the
window, climbing in.

INT. FAMILY HOME – NIGHT

The clock on the wall ticks. RIKKU approaches the light
switch and flicks it. It doesn’t go on. She tries it
several more times but gets no response. She exhales
sharply, trying to compose herself. She turns on her phone
torch and SAYEED is sitting on her bed.

SAYEED
You’re up early.

RIKKU staggers back, pointing her phone light at him. He
grabs her in a headlock and drags her into the hall next to
the living room. He thrusts her down to the floor, standing
over her. The moonlight shines through half drawn blinds in
the front window, splicing light and dark over him. RIKKU
splutters, crouched on her knees on the floor.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
Do you think I didn’t know? I
warned you to stop going to that
hotel.

There’s a dark trickle of blood from the defect at his
nose.

SAYEED (CONT’D)
Those pigs, their war did this to
me and your mother. Now you want
to jump into bed with them, with
what they’ve built!

SAYEED (CONT’D)
Singing on stage, dressed like
that in front of all those men…

RIKKU
(Her voice coarse but
defiant)
I don’t even like men.

SAYEED
(Snarling)
You’re a disgrace!

He kicks her stomach again, she falls to the floor. He
kicks her again and she writhes. He lifts her by the throat
trying to put her in a choke-hold but RIKKU fights back.
She crushes him back against the wall, and again, she’s
free. She slams his face against the wall and he falls. She
spots her framed family photo on the floor at the door to
her room. She picks it up, he rolls onto his belly, blood
seeps from his skin defect through the hand which holds his
face and drips onto the floor. She thrusts her knee against
his back and holds her arm around his throat. She sticks
two fingers into the defect in his nose and pulls hard, the
skin tears at the seams and he screams.

RIKKU
Cancer might have killed my
mother, but you were the real
cancer in this family.

She picks up the photo and lashes it over his head and he
drops to the floor.

Beat.

She scuttles back to her room to grab the photo of her and
her mother from the drawers. She descends the stairs to the
front door and exits, leaving SAYEED behind. The final shot
shows the broken glass, the turmoil around him, he’s still
breathing and we focus on the remains of the shattered and
now crumpled family photo on the floor.

END

Report

I wanted to challenge myself with this assignment. I did a fair amount of reading and research after I was inspired by the use of Iraq as a futuristic map in ‘Overwatch’ where the country wasn’t envisaged as war torn. It made me consider the importance of perpetuating the Middle East as a war zone in fiction and film so I set about creating a world where terror and war were absent and focus on a personal story. I also considered the legacy effect of the allied forces use of Uranium ammunition in the Iraq war.

My introduction takes inspiration from Blade Runner as a futuristic city-scape, but I also wanted to include the oil field which exists today as something winding down, symbolic of the past and the Sinbad theme park as a cultural touch point of Basra – and how that may be exploited by modernity. It was important to keep these elements so the city didn’t seem completely alien. Similarly, the Iraqi citizen in the introduction sets a tone for a more moderate and open city as he practice’s prayer, but is in casual clothing and later seen drinking. This represents a sub-plot conflict of modernity vs tradition, and the importance of balance.

The main conflict is a story of domestic abuse. Abuse can happen anywhere. Sayeed uses his daughter as a target for his anger at losing his wife to cancer, at being scarred for life from birth through the Iraq war legacy and no fault of his own. Similarly, the scars he inflicts upon Rikku are no fault of her own. After the Iraq war some of our soldiers channelled their PTSD in horrific ways, this is the other side of the coin. Can she escape it? It’s ultimately about her liberation and being able to embrace her dreams and the opportunities this modern Basra has brought her, a modern Basra which Sayeed will never accept.

Establishing shot of blurry, unfocused vehicle lights on a
busy motorway as they pass under the camera. Rain is
attacking the vehicles. A truck changes lanes as it
approaches the camera. The blue blur of an ambulance blasts
down the outside lane on the left. The truck pulls right
and comes into focus briefly as it slips out of shot onto
an exit ramp which leads to the service station.

INT. TRUCK – NIGHT

The driver’s silhouette contrasts with the truck’s lights
illuminating the road outside. The weather is obstructive.
The wind is sweeping and the rain is lashing the
windscreen, the wipers work furiously. Light pushes the
darkness back as the truck emerges at the service station.
Passing a busy public parking bay, the truck approaches its
empty designated area.

EXT. SERVICE STATION – NIGHT

On the left is the service station, the right the gas
station. There is a sense of perpetual motion, cars and
trucks are arriving and departing frequently, people are
hurrying to and from their cars. The truck is segregated,
isolated from the normal parking area. ADAM, 30 years old,
with an untidy beard, sits with his forehead leaning
against the top of the steering wheel.

INT. TRUCK – NIGHT

ADAM opens his log book, there are ticks next to the last
five days, four more remain without ticks. Written across
the weekend is the word “FREEDOM”. He discards the book
with visible disdain onto the floor. The inside of the
truck is a mess, papers and leaflets litter the cabin. On
the seat next to him is a recruitment agency leaflet and
several job advertisements are circled in a newspaper.
Above the windscreen is a family photo of ADAM, he’s
wearing a novelty hat with ear flaps. His wife SOPHIE and
their son AJ, who is dressed as BUZZ LIGHTYEAR, are also in
the photo. ADAM clicks his phone screen and it reads “10
MISSED CALLS FROM SOPHIE”. He puffs his cheeks and selects
to call her. His head is bowed and he constricts his body,
huddling into himself. We only hear ADAM in this call and a
muffled, almost distorted female voice – SOPHIE’s words are
indistinguishable.

His hand caresses the horn at first, but as he listens he
enters an almost trance like state and he pushes harder,
setting it off in response.

ADAM (CONT’D)
(Flustered)
What? No! I’m not driving. I just
bumped the stupid horn.
(beat)
It’s only a few more days…

ADAM sighs turning at a steering wheel which is now locked,
trapped in place.

ADAM (CONT’D)
We always manage.
(then)
Is AJ there?
(then)
Sure. I don’t mind. I guess I’ll
call back before I leave.

ADAM (CONT’D)
Yeah. Love you.

He holds his phone in front of the steering wheel. The
light on the phone dims, the background is a picture of
him, clean shaven, and SOPHIE. The phone screen darkens
completely.

ADAM puts on the hat he’s wearing in the family photo and
exits the truck.

INT. SERVICE STATION – NIGHT

ADAM walks through the left side of the service station.
Exiting on the right as he enters is a family of five. ADAM
watches the family as they pass. The husband and wife are
holding hands, the family are a unit and they interact
harmoniously. One of the children, a young girl of no more
than six years of age, with blonde pig tails and a pink
dress points at ADAM.

GIRL
Look Daddy, look at his hat!

ADAM pokes his tongue out at the girl and pulls the ear
flaps. The girl giggles, the father gives a nod of
appreciation and the family pass. They are followed by a
couple, with a man holding his arm around the woman. She’s
leaning in close to him. He looks at his phone background.
Distracting himself.

When he looks up he notices an advertisement. He approaches
it, it reads “IDEAL FAMILY HOLIDAY PACKAGES”. We see ADAM’s
reflection in the plastic covering over the advertisement.
The family in the advertisement look ecstatic, harmonious,
like the family he just passed. His reflection shows his
misery.

He approaches the fast food court but before entering he
stops, noticing some BUZZ LIGHTYEAR’s in a claw crane
vending machine filled with toys. He puts a pound in and
starts playing. The first attempt comes up empty handed.
He’s visibly irritated, shaking his head as though the
machine is the against him. In his next attempt the machine
hooks the head of a BUZZ LIGHTYEAR but the toy falls before
it barely lifts from the floor. ADAM’s short lived joy
transitions to anguish. His third and final turn sees him
clutch a BUZZ LIGHTYEAR’s arm and lift it from the ground.
The claw lifts it towards the exit slot but the arm starts
to slip, the claw loses its grip and the toy slips through
its grasp. ADAM fumes and aggressively hits the machine
with the bottom of his palm. The noise takes him by
surprise and he has a quick look around as he shuffles off
sheepishly into the food court.

INT. FAST FOOD COURT – NIGHT

ADAM glares at the customer in front of him on his phone.
He’s boring a hole in the back of the customers head, his
frustration is visible, he strokes and scratches at his
beard, it’s almost tangible,

CUSTOMER
Babe, it was the chicken nuggets
you wanted, right?

ADAM crosses his arms, still staring.

CUSTOMER (CONT’D)
And a strawberry milkshake, my
love?
(then)
I’ll be back out in five minutes.
Love you.

ADAM turns his head away, rolling his eyes and thrusting
his arms out to each side in frustration.

CUSTOMER (CONT’D)
Love ya babe.

Customer hangs up his phone.

CUSTOMER (CONT’D)
Did you get that, yeah? Thank you
so much.

ADAM moves to the front of the queue.

ADAM
I’ll have a Happy Meal with a diet
coke, please.

ADAM (CONT’D)
With extra cheese.

INT. – FAST FOOD COURT – NIGHT

ADAM places his tray down at an empty table of four. There
are several families sitting at other tables. They
comfortably outnumber three other men, like ADAM, sitting
at empty tables.

He pauses before he starts to eat his meal, watching the
customer who was ahead of him in the queue rushing out into
the main area of the service station, nearly juggling the
meals and drinks he purchased. He shakes his head and
smiles wryly. ADAM spots a Father and his son at the
machine he was playing outside the food hall. They
celebrate and hug as the Dad produces a BUZZ LIGHTYEAR from
the machine for his son. ADAM takes an emphatic bite out of
his burger.

ADAM puts his burger down and removes the toy from his
Happy Meal, examining it briefly before taking another
bite. He then takes his wedding ring off and holds it up.
It’s as if he’s appraising it’s value. Is this job worth
the cost? He spins it on the table, it wobbles slowly
towards stopping flat on the table, flirting with the end.

Just before it does, he swipes it and puts it back on his
finger.

He holds the toy from the Happy Meal in one hand as he
empties the remains of the meal into a bin and exits the
fast food court. Before leaving the service station he
checks his phone again, lingering on the background of him
and SOPHIE before snapping a photo of the holiday
advertisement and sending it to her.

INT – TRUCK – NIGHT

ADAM leaps into his truck and slams the door shut. The rain
has subsided. His breath lingers. He places the toy next to
a row of other, similar, happy meal toys on the dashboard.
He phones SOPHIE again. This time we see and hear her. This
signifies that this conversation will be the beginning of
the end of ADAM’s familial isolation, triggered by the idea
of this holiday. It’s time find another job, to reward
themselves, time to enjoy being a family instead of working
in isolation to exist. The two are communicating. We get a
side-by-side, split screen view of the two.

ADAM
Heya Soph.

Adam is relaxed, he holds the picture of the family in his
left hand.

SOPHIE
What’s this picture you sent me?

Sophie is sitting with AJ on her lap, combing his hair
while he watches an iPad.

ADAM
Budget holidays. I saw the ad’ and
I think we should book one.

SOPHIE
Adam… are you sure we can?

ADAM
We deserve it.

Beat.

SOPHIE
Lets discuss it more when you get
home then.

ADAM
Just think, the three of us on the
beach…

SOPHIE
He’d still make you wear the hat.

They share a laugh.

ADAM
Is he there?

Sophie offers the phone to AJ.

SOPHIE
AJ, Daddy’s on the phone, want to
say hello?

AJ glances at Sophie

AJ
DADDY!

Then returns his attention to the iPad.

SOPHIE
Looks like that’s all you’re
getting.

ADAM
(raising his voice)
I’ll see you at the weekend big
guy!

SOPHIE
Drive safe Adam. Love from us
both.

ADAM
I love you too.

The split screen lingers as they both hang up. SOPHIE
kisses the top of AJ’s head, her eyes widen and she pulls
him in tighter. ADAM returns the photo to its spot above
the windscreen. The split screen is gone. We see his
reflection as he looks at himself with the hat on,
grinning. ADAM picks up the circled job advertisements and
dials a number.

Light shredded the darkness as Charlie opened her eyes. The room smelled like her cats litter tray had been left out in the sun. Her head throbbed, her wrists and ankles burned under her uniform. Above Charlie, a spider dangled from a solitary thread. She tried to sit but jolted back to the carpet, which barely concealed the concrete underneath. Charlie thrashed her feet, shaving her skin. Blood tickled her ankle before her sock dampened. She hauled both arms against her restraints but the cuffs stripped her flesh like a knife thinning bark.

The spider had slipped further from a sagging ceiling tile. She wrenched her neck to the left as its legs fidgeted furiously. Charlie heard voices behind the metal door. She fought frantically with her restraints. Two men armed with guns entered. She twisted her body, the smaller one remained by the door. She ground her limbs against the restraints as the bearded one approached.

“Please, sit still.” He said.

Charlie fastened her lips as she battled.

“Please. I cannot undo these restraints if you do not sit still.”

She rested her arms and legs but she kept her neck craned. Sweat stung her wrists and stained her white vest, exposed by her unbuttoned uniform.

“Why?” She asked.

“To show you how we treat our guests.”

“I didn’t ask to be your guest.”

“And I didn’t ask for you to occupy my country.”

He placed his pistol in its holster. Charlie let her head rest.

“Boy, go and collect our guest’s food.”

The smaller one left the room, leaving the door ajar.

“What’s on the menu?” Charlie asked.

“It’s a surprise.” He smiled.

He unlocked the restraints around her ankles.

“Why don’t you just kill me?”

“If you stole a hundred dollars would you just rip it up?”

“I wouldn’t steal a hundred dollars.”

“No, you people would conquer the fucking bank.”

He unlocked the remaining cuffs and stretched his arm out. Charlie recoiled, caressing her wrists with her hands. She unwound slowly, then leapt to her feet. She sprang towards him reaching for his pistol. He ducked her assault. She charged towards him again, thrusting a fist at his face, but he snatched her wrist. He kicked the back of her leg and pushed her towards the wall, slamming the side of her face next to a post-box window slot. She noticed two finger nails lodged into tears in the wallpaper.

He held her there, breathing on her neck.

“You had to try. I understand.” He said.

He forced her twisted arm further up her back.

“You’ll stop trying in time. You’ll appreciate how good you have it.”

Charlie let a whimper escape.

“Sir.” The other returned.

“What took you so long Tariq? Set it down over there.”

He loosened his grip and Charlie slumped with her back to the wall. Tears breaking out.

“My name is Finch.” He said.

“The reason you’re here…” He broke off as a jet ripped through the sky above the building. She followed his eyes to the roof. The spider hovered above him. There was a pop, then an explosion wrestled with the room. The spider fell from the ceiling, bouncing on Finch’s face before landing on the floor. He drew his pistol and fired five shots at it, taking chunks out of the floor.

“Fucking spiders!” He said, firing once more at the wall. Charlie retreated into the opposite side of the room near the bowl and Tariq.

“That!” He said, gesturing to the sky “is the reason you’re here.”

“There are two guards outside. It’s up to you whether we do this the easy way or the hard way. Come on, boy.” He said, marching out of the room.

Tariq handed Charlie a wooden dish of cold soup, its contents were cloudy. She placed her finger in and swirled around. He pulled a piece of bread from his pocket and gave her it.

“Thank you.” She said as a tear crept down her face.

He nodded.

“Wait. Wait!” She hissed.

She pointed to her sock which was smothered in blood. He left the room.

Charlie peeled a couple of strips from the bread at first before inhaling the rest of it. She carried her bowl over to the window and emptied the contents between three rusty rods which punctuated the view. A rustic red smeared down the inside wall.

She looked at the burning brown which strangled the road out of the compound, suffocating the land until it was interrupted by huts in the distance. In the courtyard below a truck growled as it prepared to leave. There were a couple of smaller buildings to each side of her window. She noticed Finch and Tariq arguing at an iron gate which blocked the exit. Surrounding the compound was a barbed wire fence; littered with tiny shoes.

Charlie approached a mattress which was decorated by vain-like yellow stains. She flipped the mattress and discovered a ripe red stain which peeled from the carpet. She resisted her body’s retching and wiped the tears which drowned her eyes. She approached the mattress and flipped it back over and then retreated to the opposite side of the room.

The spider crept towards freedom, climbing towards the slot in the wall. She looked at the bullet holes in the floor and noticed the chunks of concrete that had been chipped out of the floor. Charlie collected the pieces and sharpened them against the bars in the slot. She blew the dust away from the slot as the spider reached the summit.

“I’ll be right behind you buddy.” She said.

Charlie slipped into sleep soon after hiding the shards under the mattress.

Charlie awoke to shouting outsider her door. Water snuck through the sagging tile. She got to her feet and went to the slot in the wall. She looked beyond the spider which had remained and constructed a web, patrolling between the bars. The truck had returned. The door opened and Tariq entered the room, without a weapon. He closed the door and pulled a cloth from inside the front of his trousers. He emptied some of his flask onto the cloth.

“Thank you.” She said, sitting down and easing her shoe off.

Tariq knelt and she peeled the sock down from her ankle which left strands of fabric sewn into the scab of her wound. He caressed her ankles with the cloth, allowing her to clean her wrists.

“I’ve got to get out of here before he kills me. Will you help me?”

He shook his head.

“You don’t know what he’ll do to me.”

“Don’t be afraid of him. I have a plan. Just get him to come here. Tell him I’ve got information on an operation.”

“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked.

“I just need to get his gun.”

He nodded and left the room.

She checked outside to make sure the truck was still there. The spider had snared its first victim and was busy weaving web around a fly. The door swung open, nearly springing back on Tariq as he followed.

“I hear you have some information for me?”

“Yes, but first I want guarantees; that you’re not going to kill me.”

“I’m the only person here who wants you alive. Tariq here would rather see you killed after what your people did to his family and to his village.” He said, gesturing at Tariq.

Tariq shook his head after Finch turned his back.

“What have you got to tell me?”

“I’m not telling you anything.”

“Do not waste my t-“

Charlie tossed the mattress at Finch. He swatted it to the ground but Charlie was on him with the two stones. She crushed one against the side of his head embedded in her hand and drove the other into his eye, forcing him to the ground, driving the stone deeper. There was banging on the door as he screamed. Tariq pushed against the door. Charlie grabbed Finch’s pistol. She checked the safety. He continued to yell. She pulled the trigger. He was silent.

“Open it!” She shouted.

Tariq released the door, falling back as one guard stumbled through with the other behind him. She fired two bullets at each, one in the chest and one in the head.

Charlie hung the pistol at her waist and picked up one of their rifles. She lifted Tariq up and gave him the rifle.

“Thank you.” He said.

“Let’s go.” She said, leaving the room.

“I can’t let you do that.” He replied.

Charlie awoke facedown. She was back in her restraints. She spotted her uniform in a bundle to the side, she was in her underwear and vest. The door groaned as it opened. Footsteps crept towards her. Tariq lifted her head to his by her hair.

You approach the enclosed beach from the main road. You notice sand shimmering on the path under the stingy lights which line each side, craning their decaying necks to observe. To the left you see the cliff which wraps itself around a constricted coast, cramping the stretch of sand. You look at the town perched upon the edge guarding against the cruise ships which often sail below.

You reach the patch of grass at the back of the beach trapped between sand and stone. You squat down and squint your eyes. Doing this extends the jetty at the tip of the beach across the horizon to Kilika Straight, the passage of water which ships sneak down to the freedom of the ocean. It felt like your only means of escape until now.

The town had become your home for the last two years, but it was only at this beach where you felt any connection to it. You’d shoot this beach in a movie but the thought of it becoming a tourist attraction triggers a frown. You first met Lisa here, at a karaoke beach party. You used to hate karaoke but that night you sang for hours. She still has that effect on you. She’s helped open your eyes to a plethora of interests. You hope this won’t be the last time you can be here together but she might not give you any choice.

You watch the sun as it slips closer to the sea seeping red, yellow and orange like a nasty wound in the sky. Clouds gather above, papering over the scars. You sit on the sand, just far enough away from the tide as it climbs its way up the shore and clutches at your ankles. The tide jostles, unable to prevent its secrets spilling over the sand.

You notice a hermit crab shuffling its way across the beach, carrying its home like a worn out brown backpack. The crab approaches a marketplace of shells. It scuttles around, pausing at each of them before settling on one with a patterned blend of gold and orange stripes. If your boss were here he would swipe it and hang it in the bar; a supposed compliment to his arty aesthetic. The hermit struggles to free itself from its suffocating shelter. The sea claims the sun and you wrap your arms around your knees feeling the warmth wander from your body.

You shouldn’t have asked her to meet you here, but you couldn’t let her think that something was up. You should have told her earlier but you weren’t even sure until now. Are you sure now? You had to see her here, even if it was the last time.

Hands gently smother the light from your eyes.

“Guess who?” She said.

“Sounds like Obama.” You said.

“Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time.” She said.

You let a laugh sneak out, despite your attempts to contain it.

“Where’ve you been hiding? I hadn’t heard from you in a couple of days and nobody at the bar had seen you.” She asked.

“Sorry. I wasn’t feeling too great. Forgot to call in.”

“Jessie! Call them when you get home, you don’t want to lose your job.”

“Yeah. I will.”

You never lied to her before this, now you can’t seem to stop yourself.

Darkness trickles across the sky. The wind creeps down the back of your t-shirt. She sits down next to you and clings to your arm. Goosebumps crawl up your skin. You are cold. You notice the hermit crab has freed itself from its dingy dungeon and has moved into its new crib, testing out the new surroundings.

“I was thinking; maybe in a couple of weeks we could go for a weekend away in the city like we talked about?” Lisa asked you.

She rests her head on your shoulder. You say nothing.

“Work’s winding down. It shouldn’t be so hard to get time off and it’d be a nice change of scenery, think of all the karaoke bars we could visit.”

That is what you want but you can’t, not after what you’ve done.

“Yeah. Great.” You can’t stop yourself.

“Great. I’ll have a look at hotels when I get home.”

You need to tell her.

“Lisa, I need to tell you something and I’m afraid of what will happen when I do.”

Her grip on your arm loosens.

“W-what is it?”

Her head abandons your shoulder.

“I got offered an internship at a film studio and I’ve decided to take it.”

“I thought you stopped pursuing that dream?”

“I did, or I thought I did. I dunno, I was angry, I’d just moved here and then I met you and I just kind of put the plans on hold.”

She discards your arm.

“You said you were ready to settle into a real job. Was that all just a lie?”

“No I-“

“Were the last two years just a stopgap? Am I just a stopgap?!”

“No! You weren’t. You’re not. I can’t imagine my life without you, Lisa.”

“Liar! Otherwise you’d never have gone for the internship, never mind taken it.”

“You could come with me.”

She rises and you follow.

“I can’t just leave and go with you.”

“Why not? What’s keeping you here?”

“My family is here, my job is here and I like living here.”

The wind whips her blonde, curly hair as you look down at her pleading eyes.

“They’ll always be here, your family and this town. What’s stopping you from moving and working the same job in a different city and building your own life?”

“I’m happy here! You want me to move for your ambitions but you don’t give mine a second thought. How is that fair?”

“I want you in my life but this is the opportunity I’ve been waiting for, that I’ve always wanted. I can’t help but want you both.”

“You can’t have everything.” You hear her voice crack and she turns her back to you.

The tide bursts onto the beach, pushing at you and Lisa but you both remain. You notice the hermit crab has abandoned its new home in favour of wriggling its way back into the apartment it dared to abandon.

“You gave up on that dream when you settled down here; when we got together. You let me believe you were happy and that I was safe. You said we had a future together, now you’re going to throw it away over an internship.”

“You have to choose. The person you can’t imagine being without or the job that you’ve always wanted.”

“Can’t we work something out?” You ask.

She speaks through tears.

“What’s to work out, Jessie? I won’t stand in the way of you if you want to pursue your dreams.”

Is this really your dream? Maybe you are being selfish. She’s right, you have hurt her and lied to her. You hated the thought of that. You think about all the plans for the future she’s suggested, how happy she was, are you ready to give them up? For an internship? Not even a guarantee. What if things went wrong? Maybe you won’t like the city. You might not meet another girl like her.

You watch as the tide destroys the shell market and claims the hermit crab, dragging it back into the depths. The shells scatter across the sand and you notice the shattered remains of the now discarded shell, a faint reminder of the pattern remains. You consider collecting it for your boss.

“It’s you, Lisa. I want you. I love you.”

She faces you again.

“You need to be sure. You can’t flip flop on this.”

“I am sure. I’m happy now, here with you. The thought of losing that happiness terrifies me. I was too busy thinking what might be to stop and realise what is.”

“I love you too.” She said.

Freckles of light heal the sky as they melt through the disintegrating blanket of cloud. Your feet stick in the sand, submerged as the tide tickles your achilles and you shiver. You embrace her and she kisses you.

Today’s installment of the contest of elements resulted in a hard fought draw; much to the collective’s dismay. I’m not that fussed. We’ll see a different outcome tomorrow and transference will bring dissent the weather’s way. We wish away the bravado of the wicked wind but when the warmth arrives victorious we retreat from the honest light it shines on us.

This heat caressed my neck as the walk to work illuminated and I could only grit my teeth and frown, I can no longer shy away as it lingers still. I seek out this lurking aggravation to interrogate it. I hear drunken laughter in the living room, the frustration chips away at the back of my marble head. I like that image but the phrasing is clunky. That’s annoying. However, none of this is the source.

Perhaps it’s that I’ve been sat here for an hour and a half and written about a hundred words? I want to dim the lights and turn on the PS4. This does bother me but it’s only a shot in the pitcher. I’m safe in the knowledge that I’ll be better for this first attempt. I take a break for procrastination’s sake. I could Netflix and snooze. I discover a kitchen littered with debris. I should probably complain about this, but who complains about dishes? Then again, why is washing dishes so damn difficult? This internal discussion is tiring, it’s only bloody dishes.

I already know I’m not going to reach a thousand words, which by the way is a stellar song in Final Fantasy X-2 which I’m currently replaying on the PS4. I’ve fond memories of shutting the sun out from disrupting vision of the TV when I was younger. My mind feels muddled, I think this translates to the page rather well. I’ll probably giggle about this fact in class if I have to read this out. I think the route of this aggravation is not confronting things enough. The vices which I retreat from slot out of place like Tetris blocks, but the game just starts again. Today it’s an essay to blame, tomorrow it’s the weather.